BERHAMPUR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an action taken report (ATR) from the state government on the pregnancy of minor girls, especially students of government schools, within eight weeks.
The apex rights body has asked the chief secretary to send the report while acting on a petition and rejoinders filed by activist and Supreme Court lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy on the issue. Tripathy had cited a recent incident where the husband of a sarpanch had allegedly impregnated a class IX student on the pretext of giving her a mobile phone in Padagaon village within Adaba police limits in Gajapati district. The sarpanch Sunemi Mandal’s husband, Mansa Mandal was arrested on November 13.
“Sexual exploitation of minor girls, some of them from govt-run residential SC and ST schools, has been going on unabated,” stated Tripathy in his petition. Alleging negligence and inaction of the state government to check crimes committed on minor girls, he requested the NHRC to ensure legal action against the culprits and adequate compensation alongside rehabilitation of the victims with preventive measures.
Tripathy further alleged that precautionary and corrective measures with punitive action and rehabilitation of victims as per guidelines formulated after the Nirbhaya case and others are not being satisfactorily implemented in the state.